Apparatus for lighting and extinguishing gas-lamps.



T. M. SANDIFORD.

APPARATUS POR LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING GAS LAMPS.

APPLICATION IILBD MAB. 16. 1911.

Patented Aug. 13

Jimmie/r COLUMBIA PLANOGRM'H c0..wASl|lNGTON. D. C.

i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS M. SANDIFORD, OF MASTERTON,` NEW ZEALAND, ASSIGNOR T0 THE AUTO-MATIC GAS PRESSURE LAMP LIGHTER COMPANY LIMITED, OF MASTERTON, NEWZEALAND, A CORPORATION 0F NEW ZEALAND.

APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING GAS-LAMPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug'. 13, 1912.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS MARTIN SANDIFORD, asubject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 30lVorksop road, Masterton, in the Provincial District of Vellington, inthe Dominion of New Zealand, have invented new and useful Im-`application of increased gas pressure above,

a given pressure, or by a reduction of gas` pressure below a givenpressure.

T o this and other ends the invention consists in certain novel featuresand combinations such as will be fully described hereinafter andparticularly pointed out in the` claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of thisspecification, in which similar reference numerals indicatecorresponding parts in the iigures.

Figure 1, is an elevation of a street gas lamp governed by theapparatus. Fig. 2, is a sectional elevation and Fig. 8, a plan of theapparatus. Fig. 4, is a cross section on line A-A Fig. 2. Fig. 5, is apart sectional elevation corresponding to Fig. 2 but drawn to a largerscale. Fig. 6, and Fig. 7, are cross sections through a part of theapparatus at line B-B Fig. 5 to show method of actuating the apparatusby increased pressure. Fig. 8, and Fig. v9, are similar views to Figs. 6and 7 to show method of actuating the apparatus by means of reducedpressure. Fig. 10, 1s a perspective view of a detail. f

The apparatus comprisesa chamber 1 of usual construction and has a cap 2closing the top thereof, While the gas supply pipe 3 leads into thechamber at its bottom. An annular Wall 4 is provided within the chamber1 and is fixed to or integral with the bottom thereof and forms anotherchamber 5 which will hereinafter be referred to as the gas chamber ofthe apparatus. A bell 6 forms the top of the gas chamber, the annular'wall of which dips into the annular space 7 thus formed between the saidwall 4 and the wall of the chamber 1. The space 7 is filled with mercuryor other suitable liquid in order to form a gas tight seal between thechamber 5 and the chamber 1. A plug 8 (see Fig. 4) is provided for thepurpose of emptying the space 7 of mercury.

The bell 6 is supported upon a central guide post 9 (see Fig. 5) guidedin a cylinder 10 screwed into a bridge 11 integral` with the chamber' l.A stud or stop 12 projects from the post 9 and is adapted to slide in aslot 13 in the cylinder 10, thus preventing the post from rotating andat the same time forming a stop to limit the' downward travel of saidpost while it limits the upward travel thereof by engaging an adjustablenut 14 threaded upon the outside of the cylinder 10. By screwing thesaid nut up or down the upward travel of said post is regulated. Thebell 6 is prevented from rotating by a sided portion 15 of the postfitting into a correspondingly shaped recess in the upper part of saidbell.

An outlet 16 from the gas chamber leads to and communicates with a pipe17 leading to the lamp 18. The said outlet communi- Cates with theinterior of a cylindrical drum 19 through the medium of the opening 20in its lower periphery, said drum being arranged horizontally and fixedat or near the bottom of and on the inside of the gas chamber 5 and isopen at the rear end. Within the drum 19 another drum 21 is fitted, aspindle 22 to which the drum 21 is fixed extends through the end of drum19 and has provided upon it a toothed wheel 29; while a coil spring 25located upon the spindle 22 is in compression between the end of thedrum 19 and the Wheel 23 and thus retains a tension upon the drum 21 inrelation to the drum 19. A by-pass opening 24 in the top of said drum 19and diametrically opposite the opening 20 allows gas to enter therein;while the drum 21'is provided with by-pass openings 26 arranged atintervals in its periphery and in line with the openings 2O and 24 eachopening being diametrically opposite another opening so that when anopening 26 is opposite the opening 24, an-

other opening 26 will be opposite the opening 20; thus makingcommunication between the gas chamber and the outlet 16 for gas to passthrough.

Every other tooth upon the wheel 23 corresponds to a by-pass opening 26in the drum 21 while the intermediate teeth correspond tothe spacebetween the said openings; thus when the drum is in the position shownin Fig. 6 and upon the wheel 23 being rota-ted the distance of one toothit will cause openings 26 therein to be opposite the openings 2O and 24respectively. Rot-ating the wheel the distance of another tooth thespaces between the said openings 26 will come opposite the openings 2Oand 24, thereby closing communication from the gas chamber to the outlet16. In t-he drawings four by-pass openings are shown in the drum 21 butit is obvious that any desired number may be used the wheel 23 beingprovided with teeth to correspond.

When it is desired to operate the apparatus by increased pressure of gasthe wheel and drum are rotated by means ot a link .29 pivoted in a lug27 provided upon the interior of the bell (see Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7) thelower bar of the link 29 being adapted to engage the teeth of the wheel23 as shown.

Assuming now that the wheel, drinn and link' are in the position shownin Fig. 6 a space being opposite the openings 20 and 24, then upon thebell top 6 rising owing to increased pressure within the gas chamber 5the bell t-op will take with it the link 29 thus rotating the wheel 23and drum 21 to the position shown in Fig. 7 thereby bringing openings 26opposite openings 20 and 24 thus making communication between the gaschamber and the outlet 16. The height to which the bell rises beinglimited by the stop 12, the nut 14 being adjusted to give the desiredtravel to the bell 6 and so insures against the drum 21 being carriedbeyond the position required. Upon the pressure again becoming normalthe bell returns to its original position the link 29 riding over theback of the teeth, suiiicient tension being given to the drum 21 by thecoil spring 25 to prevent it being moved upon the return downward travelof the link. Gas can now flow from the chamber 5 through the drums intothe supply pipe 17 to the burner 18 where it is lighted by means of apilot 28 leading from a convenient part of the gas supply, the drawingshowing it leading from the bottom of the chamber 1. To extinguish thelamp the pressure is again increased and the bell top 6 rising, the link29 again rotates the wheel 23 the distance of one tooth when a spacebetween the openings 26 is brought opposite the openings 2O and 24 thusshutting oli' the gas to the pipe 17 and extinguishing the lamp; upon,however, the pressure again becoming normal the bell descends and thelink rides over the teeth to its normal position as before and is readyto operate the wheel when the next application of increased pressuretakes place.

ln order to insure the bell returning to its lowest position against theusual pressure of gas, superimposed weights 30 are provided upon the topthereof and the weight of the bell can therefore be adjusted so that itwill rise to its full limit when a predetermined degree of increasedpressure is reached within the gas chamber, but will descend to itsoriginal position when the eXtra pressure is removed.

lt it be desired to operate the apparatus by means of a reduction of thenormal pressure in thechamber, the link 29 is dispensed with or may beslung up and secured against the inside ot the bell as shown in Fig. 4while a blade or link 31 (see Figs. 4, 8, 9, and 10) is provided pivotedto the inside of the bell similarly to the link 26 but adapted tooperate by downward pressure upon't-he teeth on the opposite side of thewheel 23.

ln this case the bell 6 is not weighted sutticiently to descend to itslowest position against the normal pressure, but on the contrary thenormal pressure tends to raise it to its highest limit. Assuming thatthe wheel 23, drum 21 and bell 6 are in the position shown in Fig. 3then when a desired reduction of the normal pressure takes place thebell descends and the blade 31 engages the tace of a tooth on the wheel23 and rotates the wheel and drum the distance ot' one tooth, the drumassuming the position shown in Fig. 9 thus opening the by-pass openingsto the gas and allowing it to flow through the pipe 17 to the lamp. Uponthe normal pressure being regained the bell 6 rises again to itsoriginal position the blade 31 riding over the back of the teethsimilarly as described in reference to the link 29. To extinguish thelamp the pressure is again reduced to a predetermined degree, the belldescends causing the blade to rotate the wheel the distance of onetooth, which causes the drum to rotate and close the openings 24 and 20to the interior of said drum and outlet 16 respectively and thus cuttingott the gas supply extinguishes the lamp. `When the normal pressure isregained the bell will again rise to its original position.

When the apparatus is arranged to be operated by -increased pressure theblade is either removed or slung up and retained as indicated in Fig. 4.

What l do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. ln apparatus of the kind described, a horizontal drum open at therear end, an inner drum fitting said drum and open at the front end, anopening being provided in the bottom of the said out-er drum for the'passage of gas therethrough, an opening being 'provided in the top ofthe said outer drum for the passage of gas therein, and bypass openingsbeing provided at intervals in the said inner drum in line with the saidopenings in the outer drum, and a spindle projecting from the end ofsaid inner drum through the front of said outer drum, suhstantially asdescribed.

2. In apparatus of the kind described, the combination of a horizontaldrum, a vertically movable bell over said drum, an inner drum fittingsaid horizontal drum and provided With byepass openings, a spindlefitted to said inner drum and projecting through the end of saidhorizontal drum, a toothed wheel upon said spindle every other tooth ofsaid Wheel coresponding to a by-pass opening in said inner drum, andmeans for operating the said toothed wheel the distance of one toothwhen the bell rises by the increase of pressure or falls by the decreaseof pressure, substantially as set forth.

3. In apparatus of the kind described, means for limiting the rise andfall of the bell top, comprising a gas chamber, a bridge in said gaschamber, a cylinder screwed into said bridge and provided with a slot, apost guided in said cylinder, and supporting the bell top, a stopprojecting from said post and through the said slot, and an adjustable.nut upon the cylinder' upon Which the said stop engages, substantiallyVas set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

T. M. SANDIFORD.

Witnesses:

Gro. H. lOULLnN, SYDNEY I-I. HEGGS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained tor five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

